


The Forest has Ears

by quailbirdbb



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: But realization of self-worth, But the younger one is the main baby, I’m too lazy to tag all the villagers, M/M, Monsters, More than one “player”, Multi, Slow Burn, Starts with Jas POV but changes, The player is a creature in the Secret Forest, The player is not human, but know that they’re all there with their relationships, but they’re brothers don’t worry they’re the same species, tagged characters are most important ones, tagged relationships are most important ones
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:54:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22616713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quailbirdbb/pseuds/quailbirdbb
Summary: Stardew Valley was a sleepy town. With a small population away from the urban city, any resident living in Stardew could recall everyone by name at anytime of the day.In short, Stardew was a boring place with the same old people and the same old events.Stardew didn’t seem to have any better future than this. One day, the farmlands would be taken over by the cities, and that would be that.Jas and everyone else she knew would die; and no one out there would ever even know....Creatures lurk closer than expected. When Jas and Vincent set foot in the long-abandoned farm, a dangerous discovery of what is hidden under their noses takes root.They aren’t pleased. The creatures, at least. They advance like wolves but look on like hawks; they have something against the humans, now— and maybe Jas and Vincent are to blame.Or maybe not.Who knows what these monsters could do to them?
Relationships: Jas & Marnie & Shane (Stardew Valley), Jas & Ms Penny (Stardew Valley), Jas & Vincent (Stardew Valley), Lewis/Marnie (Stardew Valley), Shane/Male Player (Stardew Valley)
Kudos: 23





	The Forest has Ears

Jas turned her shining eyes towards her dear friend. A grin graced her face, more teasing than she probably intended.

“What’s wrong Vincent? You’re not scared, are you?”

“Of course not!” Vincent scoffed. Once the girl glanced away, he wrung his hands together, the bravery draining from his face. “We’re not supposed to be here, Jas.  Especially at night...”

A little pout pulled at Jas’s lips. “I know that, dummy. But I thought it would be fun.”

Jas always had a knack for being adventurous. At her young age of six, what else was more exciting than running off at night when she wasn’t supposed to, scuttling off to wherever she liked to go.

Tonight, she had seemed to choose the abandoned farm to the west of town.

Stardew Valley was a sleepy town. With a small population away from the urban city, any resident living in Stardew could recall everyone by name at anytime of the day.

But there was no schoolhouse, and no one had a car. All there was was the tacky little bus that had broken down only a few months prior, and the train that never seemed to stop in Stardew.

In short, Stardew was a boring place with the same old people and the same old events.

And Jas was tired of it.

So here she was, right at the foot of the rusted iron gate that led into the long-neglected farm that had been left in shambles ever since its owner had died of old age five years back.

And her closest friend Vincent— only a month older than she was— right behind her. 

“Why hasn’t your Aunt bought this farmland yet?” Vincent asked as he watched his companion try to squeeze between the shabby bars. “It looks  _ huge _ and your Aunt’s farm is so  _ small _ .”

“I dunno.” Jas grunted, pulling free from the place where she had accidentally been stuck for a second. “Shane says she can’t afford it. ‘ _ It’s tough being a farmer ‘round these parts _ ’ he said. But Auntie said something about the farmer’s  last will or something. Whatever a _will_ is.”

The little girl crossed her arms, puffing out her cheeks as she looked over the closed gate again. Distantly, she could hear Vincent starting up once more about this being dangerous— more dangerous than usual. 

Nobody has been on this property since the farmer had passed away. Who knows what creatures made these parts their homes? Maybe there would be  ghosts ! That way, Shane would be too much of a scaredy cat to look for her here.

Probably.

“Vincent, look!” She interrupted the boy’s rant. With a shaking finger— curse autumn’s freezing nights— Jas pointed into a break under the gate; hidden behind a scruffy chain of brambles was a section of up-turned dirt leading into the farm.

Jas flashed a quick smile at her friend. “A fox must’ve dug it up. C’mon!”

Suddenly intrigued, Vincent came to stand closer to the girl as she began to weasel through the hole. He then shook his head. “Really, Jas. Sam might find us and tattle. And what if my Mom checks my room? What if _your_ Aunt checks your room?” 

“It’s Friday, Vincent. Everyone’s at the Saloon until midnight. They won’t notice a thing! Now come on, you baby.” With brilliant blue eyes, she peered excitedly towards the boy from the other side of the gate. Dirt dusted her purple little dress and knees. As Vincent knelt down to join her, she busied herself with patting off the dirt.

Jas nudged the boy. Understanding, Vincent ruffled through his jacket, handing his friend a glow stick. 

She cracked it. Instantly, a soft, yellow light casted between them. 

“...It’s still really dark, Jas.”

Said girl frowned. “I thought it would be a lot brighter.” 

“You’re so dumb.”

The two wandered deeper into the growing weeds, dried thorns scratching at their legs. Their movements disrupted the once-still nature of the farm. With every step, a tiny bundle of fireflies flickered up to existence, fluttering off to hide elsewhere.

“Fireflies?” Vincent said behind her. “It’s too cold for fireflies.”

“They’re probably not fireflies, Vincent.” Assured his friend. Turning, Jas tried to overlook the way the bugs’ lights made Vincent’s impossibly-light-brown-hair even lighter. “You’re just scared.”

“I’m  _not_.”

The farm was made up of several bodies of scattered land, separated by a winding river but connected by makeshift planks as bridges. Now that Jas thought of it, Auntie Marnie wasn’t much of a fisher. Maybe that was why she never claimed this land. 

But it was dark. _Too_ dark.

“I don’t think anything is here Jas.” Vincent muttered quietly. Jas wanted to agree, but going home seemed so bitter in her head.

She led him carefully towards the past farmer’s home; hardly even a shack; weathered and now owned by Mother Nature herself. How the farmer had lived most of his life in such an ugly place was beyond the girl.

They wouldn’t go in there. Jas stopped before the door and swerved away towards the tall barren trees.

Vincent let out a breath of relief. He was almost certain that a coyote would have jumped out at them if they had stepped inside. “What are we looking for, Jas?”

“I don’t know.” She replied with a halfhearted shrug. “Anything. Who knows what’s out here.” They crossed over one of the plank bridges. It creaked underneath them, and they paused with fear before continuing slower.

The ground meeting his feet eased Vincent’s terror. He sent a worried look towards his friend, boring his eyes into the back of her head. “It’s getting worse isn’t it?”

“Mind your own beeswax!” Jas shot back. Her words lacked a certain heat, and she blew a raspberry. “Leave him alone.”

“Jas, I don’t want you getting hurt.” Her friend muttered nervously. They stepped onto a muddy island, mire squishing under their shoes. Vincent could already feel the muck seeping into his socks.

“I’m  not getting hurt. I’m fine.” The girl spread open her arms dramatically. “See? Look, Vincent!”

The brunet boy didn’t submit. “I know. But my Mom said—.”

“I don’t care what your Mom said, Vincent.” Jas sputtered before noticing that the mud had stained her perfect little dress shoes.

Together, they settled in a short silence.

“I wanna go home Jas.”

“...Can you ask your Mom if I can sleep over again?”

“Yeah.”

Disappointed, Jas tailed her friend back towards the gate. No doubt Auntie Marnie would make a fuss about her ruined attire. It had been, after all, just washed.

The makeshift bridge croaked. Jas didn’t mind it this time. 

Stardew didn’t seem to have any better future than this. One day, the farmlands would be taken over by the cities, and that would be that. 

Jas and everyone else she knew would die; and no one out there would ever even know.

Vincent squeaked, jolting back into Jas. The girl grunted. “Watch it!” She pouted, but her companion stayed deaf to her annoyance.

In the dark depths of that cold, cold autumn night, something in the breeze stirred. It rooted Jas’s soles into the wild ground.   


That wasn’t good.

From in front of her, Vincent reached his hand back to take hers. She could hardly pick out his form against the dark silhouettes of the leafless maple trees, wedged in the oddly-inky horizon.

“Jas, I’m scared.” He said. The faint tremble on his fingertips against Jas’s palm were very, very real. Real enough, at least, for the girl to bite her tongue back.

There was nothing there. The gate was only a sprint away, just past the crumbling shack and a single dip through the fox hole.

Jas pressed her free hand against Vincent’s back, easing him forward despite his obvious nervousness. The glowstick seemed duller than it had been when it was first cracked. 

“S’okay.” She stated with certainty, licking her parched limps. “It’s nothing, Vincent. Nothing’s here.”

The stars winked at that, as if mocking her answer. Fireflies whispered up and took cover in the trees, their lights flicking out before her very eyes.

Okay. Maybe those _were_ fireflies. 

“Jas!” 

She screamed. Her certainty had been fool’s gold. The footing underneath her slipped as Vincent stumbled. 

Mud against skin was slick, but her head against the ground was worse. Vincent was crying out now. Warbled, but _there_ , and fading fast. 

And then there was water.

Jas couldn’t swim. She would rather her toes be tickled just barely by the ocean’s light waves than plunge in like the others. 

Now, however, she wished she had asked Ms. Penny to teach her sooner.

But it was quiet, and Jas never liked quiet.

Flesh against flesh. A hand gripped firmly around Jas’s thin wrist. Her first thought was  _ Shane _ , but Shane couldn’t have gotten her this quickly; and Vincent couldn’t even stay afloat. 

But she returned the grip and treated it like a lifeline— and it _was_.

She bobbed up to the surface gasping for breath. Her savior’s presence never faltered beside her. The warmth that radiated off of their skin seeped into Jas, and she found herself leaning towards it.

And then it was gone, and Jas was flung through the air and then winded once more as her back hit the ground. 

“Oh— o-oh no... Jas.”

Groaning, the girl looked over at Vincent, but the boy wasn’t staring at her anymore. 

Instead, the figure casting the thick shadow upon them seemed to suck up all of his attention.

And for good reason.

A huge tail swept across the duo; light as a feather but the silent threat reaching its target. Easily, it could crush Jas’s lungs, if the _thing_ decided to try.

Because its eyes were intelligent enough to know that

And it knew.

Jas and Vincent cried out. 

  
Their shouts were carried by autumn’s breeze.


End file.
